


Kallistēi

by baeksbabygirl



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Nudity, The Iliad, Trojan War, non-binary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 13:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12234072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeksbabygirl/pseuds/baeksbabygirl
Summary: The golden apple read “To the Fairest ~” but when the Goddesses fought over who the fairest of them was, they asked a mortal man his opinion on their beauty.





	Kallistēi

**Author's Note:**

> Self Prompt
> 
> A/N: This was really just a quick little thing I thought up towards the end of the fest, so I hope someone at least likes it. I do plan on doing a whole Trojan War au with this concept, just didn't have the time to write it completely and to my liking. Anyway, hope ya'll enjoy !

“Goddess” of Discord and Strife, Luhan had not been invited to feast with the other gods while they celebrated and cheered for the wedding of the century. A wedding between Peleus, and his beautiful sea nymph of a bride, Thetis. Luhan knew the whole wedding was a sham - an excuse for one god or the other - knew it in the way the gods laughed and sang and danced among their mortal children, and demigod brethren.

 

They had failed to invite him in the fear that he would ruin the whole of their festivities with his jealousy, and his need to cause strife wherever he went. Their mistake, however, was in not inviting him to the celebration in the first place. Because as he climbed the marble steps and watched from behind a solid pillar, he rolled what lay in his hands towards the small gathering of gods standing before the feast, all making small talk.

 

He hid when the golden apple landed its mark, bumping up alongside the Queen of the Heavens, “Goddess” of Marriage, and partner to Yifan, who mortals called Zeus.

 

Luhan waited for things to turn sour…

 

Inscribed in the golden skin of the apple was the word  _ Kallistēi _ , meaning “to the fairest”. Luhan had planned it to cause a fight, some kind of discord between the goddesses standing there before the feasts, with eyes searching for their husband, eyes searching for their lover, and eyes searching for a quiet escape from the wedding festivities. He had not expected what was to happen next, but he watched all the same, eyes intent to see how this scene played out.

 

“This belongs to me then!” Junmyeon stated, the “goddess” by which the mortals often called Hera. The mortals never really labelled any of the gods correctly, all of them neither male or female. They were gods, gender a nonconformity to them, and certainly not a matter they cared of very much. Those that the mortals called goddesses shrugged with indifference, and those that they called gods nodded at the word, accepting it quietly. Luhan himself was called goddess, and he supposed that was because the mortal men of the time thought their female counterparts were far more vengeful than they.

 

The truth, however, was that Luhan stood for all mortals that sought revenge and strife in their lives. There was no difference between men and women where he was concerned. They were all vile in their own ways.

 

Just as the gods themselves were at times, too.

 

The next goddess in that small circle scowled, brow crinkling as they took the golden apple from Junmyeon’s hands and clutched it tight to their breast.

 

Kyungsoo, who mortals called goddess of wisdom and strategy, let his eyes turn down to look back at the two goddesses beside him. Proclaimed most wise of those in the Heavens, sprung from Zeus’ head when Kyungsoo was born as a fully fledged adult, he had no qualms in declaring himself “fairest”. 

 

“Who is the fairest if not the goddess of wisdom? Marriage is an old concept that many have thrown out the temple now. Give it up, Junmyeon. Besides, if knowledge is not the fairest, what is?” Kyungsoo said, eyes looking down at the golden apple with a spark in his eyes, keeping it tight to him before another’s hand plucked it from its safe place and placed a kiss to the golden skin.

 

Goddess of beauty, pleasure, and love - the goddess that mortals had many names for. Venus, Aphrodite, “most beautiful”. Baekhyun was unlike the other two goddesses in that he embraced the way the mortals saw him, often switching between visages to best please whichever mortal betook him. Naked, dressed, however he appeared, he showed them what they desired most in another being. 

 

It was why most called him “Goddess” as there were far more beautiful women in this world than beautiful men.

 

“And what of the goddess of beauty?” Baekhyun asked, delicate hands entrapping the golden apple within them as his eyes looked down and his lips curved into a smile. His skin seemed to gleam and shimmer as if it was backlit by the moon. Luhan watched as the goddesses exchanged words, dagger-like threats thrown at each other as they fought, and the whole room went silent. Baekhyun argued that the fairest in the room had to be the goddess of beauty. None of the other gods said a word, of course - not wanting to 1) find themselves under Aphrodite’s wrath, or 2) find themselves cursed by the other two goddesses that would make their immortal or mortal lives a living hell.

 

The only god that chose to intervene was Zeus - Yifan. He sidled up next to his Queen, and though Junmyeon believed his partner would take his side, he was sorely mistaken. The god of the Heavens, King of Olympus, also had two of his children standing there before him. Kyungsoo, child of Zeus and Titaness Metis, and then Baekhyun, child of Zeus and oracle goddess Dione. 

 

It was enough of a conflict between the three standing before Yifan that he looked around the room and caught someone’s eye - Hermes. A nod in his direction and suddenly the messenger was there as well.

 

“I cannot choose the true owner of this title, as I would be biased and the test would be unfair among any in attendance. We must choose someone that will bear no bias towards any of the three of you here. A mortal that lives separate from the rest of the world.”

 

With that, and a glance into the world at large, the three goddesses found the perfect man to test their beauty on - each goddess hoping to bribe the poor mortal into choosing them, and knowing they would reward the mortal man for his decision at a later date. The scene for the decision was set, the wedding coming to a close with the couple disappearing amongst the fighting immortals, and the three goddesses wringing their hands together in the hopes that the mortal would choose them.

 

…

 

Yixing was climbing through the bends of the mountain, hoping to take the sheep up the corner towards the small rivulet of a river when his eyes caught on something in the distance. Three figures standing naked in the river, their gowns and jewelry falling onto the stones along the river’s lip, dangerously close to the edge but hanging there as he watched. There was another figure, a man who seemed to hover and float just above the ground with winged footwear and a scepter that he could have sworn was moving just slightly at the top. 

 

Two snakes forming the caduceus, interchanging and whispering hisses as if they spoke to one another.

 

Yixing stopped where he stood, rubbing at his eyes and hoping he had not absolutely lost his mind. When he was sure what he was seeing was real, he stepped closer, the sheep following behind him not paying any attention to the naked people or the hovering man. 

 

Glancing at the naked bodies, they seemed to switch back and forth from men to women before his eyes settled and they appeared as a mix between the two. Male bodies with feminine features. The first one he saw was the shortest of the three, though they were all of similar size. This one was more masculine of the three, with short cropped hair and a helmet lying beside where their feet was. He did not waste time in looking on at the others as well.

 

The second standing there in the river had a leaner build, but not skinny. Yixing could see where this one stood more regal than the others, even naked, like they were royalty and should always been seen as such. 

 

The third was the most beautiful of the three. Though they were all gorgeous, handsome, pretty, astounding - whichever word could possibly be used to describe them - the third was undoubtedly the most beautiful naked. Thick thighs that made Yixing want to crumple the ground, elegant hands that curled around their body, and then a pretty face, though with slightly softer edges was clearly male in that moment. Short cropped hair that fell soft, and of which Yixing wanted to reach out and touch. The hue of the strands changed swiftly, like a kaleidoscope of colors. First black, then spun gold, changing to a pretty pink, and then a vibrant red. All of the ever-changing colors suited the third standing before him.

 

And then they introduced themselves.

 

“My name is Athena.” the first said, Yixing’s senses coming to life with the knowledge that he was standing in the presence of gods. Goddesses or gods, though, he wondered of the distinction between the two words. They seemed both, yet neither at the same time.

 

The next inclined their head and lifted an eyebrow, “My name is Hera.” 

 

And then the third stepped from the water, one of their hands coming to touch Yixing’s face and push back a stray strand of his own hair, while their own hair settled on a dusty blond, eyes changing to a light blue as well. Blond haired, blue eyed, and Yixing had a slight feeling he was in trouble with this one.

 

“You may call me any name you wish.” the god said, inclining their head to the side and then whispering light in his ear, “But most call me Aphrodite, goddess of pleasure.” and as if he was not in enough trouble, he knew damn well that the three gods standing before him had come here for a reason. His father, a mere sheep herder, had escaped to the mountains to stay far from gods, though now Yixing had come across three of them.

 

Or perhaps four, with the man hovering off to the side. As Yixing thought of the man, he stepped closer too, making Aphrodite step back into the water among the other goddesses.

 

“The gods have chosen you to make a decision for them.” the man said, and then displayed a golden apple before him with an inscription scrawled across the gilded skin. One word that translated from Greek “to the fairest”. Yixing glanced back at the gods before him and wondered why this was up for him to choose. The hovering god explained further, “The gods could not choose amongst themselves, and so they have chosen you, a man whom they believe is without bias, and can choose fairly.”

 

And yet what the gods were about to give and bribe him with was certainly not fair.

 

Athena stepped forward first, keeping their hands to themselves as they looked at Yixing. The god offered him a look inside the god’s mind as he placed an offer before his feet.

 

“You choose me, mortal, and I will give you wisdom beyond your greatest imaginings. You will win any war you wage, and will have the immortal favor of the goddess of wisdom, patron goddess of Athens.” but before the god was able to say another thing, Hera and Aphrodite chuckled beside Athena, Aphrodite rolling their eyes, and Hera raising an eyebrow before stepping forward.

 

“I can make you a King of any lands on this mortal plane. Any kingdom you wish to rule, I will give it to you. My husband is already King of the Heavens, if you choose me, I will make you King of the Earth.”

 

Aphrodite could not control their laughter here. Yixing looked up at the third naked god, clearly the most sensual of the three, though Hera may have been considered just as beautiful. But he remembered how Aphrodite had introduced themself - as goddess of pleasure.

 

Remembered and did not take his eyes off of the goddess in the hopes that such a thing would not anger the other two. Though the thought was too late, as Hera and Athena knew their rival would win this as Aphrodite stepped forward and placed a brief kiss to Yixing’s lips.

 

“I can offer you the most beautiful person in this world, male or female, or neither, it is your decision. Whoever they may be, you will be called Paris, and they Helen. The face of a goddess, paired with the favor of a god. You will have my favor, my trust, and my protection for both you and yours in what is to come.” 

 

And with that, the mortal man bowed his head and proceeded to give the golden apple to the goddess of pleasure, love, and sexuality.

 

Athena cursed the ground Yixing walked on in the next moment, followed by a similar curse given by Hera. The two gods disappeared, leaving only the floating god, and the goddess behind. And soon after, the floating god disappeared as well. 

 

“Kyungsoo and Junmyeon are simply jealous.” the goddess said, using the true names of the goddesses, and making Yixing nod along slowly, “But as I promised, they will be yours. The world’s most beautiful mortal. All you need to do is find them.” And then the goddess - god - pressed their lips slowly to Yixing’s lips, birds singing in the mountain grove, and flowers falling to the ground at Aphrodite’s feet.

 

“Aphrodite - .” Yixing started, before the goddess interrupted him.

 

They smiled and patted his cheek slowly, “When you call or pray for me, say my real name. Call me Baekhyun.”

 

…

 

“Hello.” Yixing started, head ducking down and dimples showing as he smiled, a guest in a foreign King and Queen’s home. He had finally found the one Baekhyun had promised.

 

A light dusting of pink raised on the man’s cheeks before he, too, was ducking his head in greeting. A secret alcove, a few whispered words, and then they were introducing themselves. The only thought in Yixing’s head as he listened to the other man was that Baekhyun had said they would be called Paris and Helen.

 

And yet the only name he had on his lips, followed by the sweet taste of the man’s lips on his, was Sehun.


End file.
